Pumpkins
by chosmer
Summary: Pumpkins, costumes, and silly boys. Fluffy'ish little O/S for Halloween. Collab between Jessica0306 & me. E&B plus crew


"I just got these and they're ruined," Emmett whined. His overpriced yuppie boots were covered in a layer of mud. I barely controlled a snicker behind my hand as I saw my best friend Alice roll her eyes.

"I had no idea we'd be gallivanting through a swamp when I agreed to this," he continued to complain. This time I couldn't hold back and barked out a laugh. Emmett, the oversized lug, using the word _gallivant_ was just too much. Everyone turned their attention towards me, including Alice's brother, Edward.

We were all spread out in a semi-circle moving slowly through Forks' only pumpkin patch. It was a poor excuse and not nearly as festive and fun as you see in the movies, but beggars couldn't be choosers.

I quickly lowered my eyes back to the rows of pumpkins at my feet.

"Something funny, Swan?" Emmett asked. I ignored him.

Usually, I would say something stupid back like, "Your face," but Edward has always been on my case about basically everything I do or say, so I've learned to censor myself when he's around. It's not like I couldn't stick up for myself or anything, but the boy intimidated the crap out of me, and I would rather just not deal with him. Trying to figure him out was futile. I was told he wouldn't be here, which is why I came, but I was lied to. OK, so I wasn't intentionally lied to. He just came along last second, but still.

I fixated on my own feet and started to brush some vines out of my path with the toe of my boot. I almost jumped when I felt a weight land on my shoulders and a voice in my ear. "What's up with you, Swan? You're so quiet today. I was only messin'… I'm not mad that you laughed."

I gave him a small smile and told him I knew that … I was just tired or something.

"I'm glad Rose isn't here to see this," Edward said, making both Emmett and I immediately uncomfortable.

"Jesus, Edward," Alice hissed as her boyfriend, Jasper, tried to look anywhere but at me or Edward.

"What?" Edward replied in a tone of innocence. Like it was no big deal he just implied his best friend was a cheater and I was the other woman. Emmett removed his arm from my shoulders and started to crack his knuckles.

"What the fuck is your deal, bro?" Emmett's easy going attitude was gone.

I looked over at Edward. His stupid, perfect face was slightly obstructed from view by his baseball cap. A snug tee hugged every muscle in his upper body - a shirt you can tell he has worn with love for years. It was the same shirt I saw him in when we first met, and then I had fantasized about me wearing it, and only it, as we laid in bed together. Matched with sweatpants and a pair of old-as-hell Adidas sneakers, his whole ensemble screamed _I just got out of bed and don__'__t give a fuck about what I__'__m wearing. _I'll be damned if the fucker didn't look like a goddamn super model.

He met my eyes and turned his hat backwards. "What?" He smirked and walked away.

I didn't know what I did to earn Edward's contempt, but he rarely had a nice thing to say to me. He wasn't always so prickly. We were friendly when we first met. Then, all of a sudden, he was condescending, rude, arrogant, and sometimes downright mean to me. Alice was the first friend I made when I moved to Forks two years ago, and her being Edward's twin sister sometimes made things tense between us.

It wasn't like I didn't try to break through Edward's icy glares and cutting words. There were even times when I bit back at him, and I could see a small smirk of approval, or even pride, crack on his face. It was almost as if he wanted to see how far he could push before I'd push back. Other times, though, it was if I didn't even exist. These times hurt the most, because no matter how hard I tried, I was a little in love with Edward Cullen.

I was Bella Swan, daughter of Forks' Chief of Police, Charlie Swan, and self-proclaimed feminist for the social media ages, Renee Swan. I was not about being treated like shit, no matter how beautiful the guy. As soon as I'd get any of those tingly thoughts about Edward, I swallowed them down fast. He could hate me for whatever reason, but I wouldn't waste my time on him. That didn't mean I couldn't appreciate how he looked when he ran, or when he verbally annihilated a classmate in debate, or when he almost always had perfect grammar and spelling. Or when he wore his baseball cap backwards.

"Ready to go, Bella? Everyone's getting back on," Alice called out from the hayride we rode in on.

"Coming!" I yelled back, holding my small but perfectly round pumpkin.

I started to climb up the stairs back on to the trailer as my foot caught and slipped, sending me sliding down a step or two. I felt hands on either sides of my waist gripping me tightly.

"Jesus, Bella. The fuck?" If the bitter voice didn't give him away, his woodsy cologne would've.

"So sorry to inconvenience you, your highness," I spat back as I climbed up and took a seat next to Alice. Edward chose the entire opposite side of the trailer to sit and brood. Every now and then during the ten minute ride back to the country store, I'd steal glances at him. His hat was turned forward again, but I knew he was looking, too. Glaring, probably, and I hoped it gave him wrinkles.

I got off the trailer without incident, thankfully. Alice wanted to buy some farm-fresh eggs and overpriced organic vegetables inside the store, but I just wanted to nap. After paying for our pumpkins, I went and sat on the tailgate of Jasper's pickup, eating cookies and drinking antibiotic-filled milk that Alice said will kill me.

"Got any more?" Edward asked. He looked straight, never turning his head to look at me.

"I'm sorry. Are you talking to me? I couldn't tell, because you're facing that kid picking his nose over there. And why would you be, anyway, right? I am apparently a home wrecker now. And you have never asked me for anything in the two years I've known you. So why start now, huh? I mean, as far as you're concerned—"

"Enough!' He cut me off, speaking loud enough to startle me. "Just forget it, Swan. For the record, I did ask you for something once, but it doesn't matter."

He got up and walked away, _again, _before I could either scream at him or ask him to elaborate. Alice, Jasper, and Emmett walked out just in time, because I had my fill of this fucking farm.

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"He ruined pumpkin picking, guys. I mean, who does that? Sorry, Al, but your brother is an asshole," I said between bites of delicious organic apple. I hitched a ride home with Alice and Jasper while Edward rode with Emmett. I didn't want to give anyone the wrong idea by riding Emmett alone. "I don't know how two people can share a womb for nine months and be such polar opposites."

"Tell me something I don't know, Bella. I'm sorry he is like that towards you. I know I say that all the time, but really, I am. I wish I knew WHY he was like this. I mean, when you first moved to Forks, he was so damn smitten with you."

Jasper chuckled. "Oh, man. He was full on "Heart eyes, motherfucker" for you, Bells. Sometimes I think…" He stopped himself, but that didn't stop Alice.

"Sometimes you think…? What? What do you think, Jasper?"

"Nothing. Just, sometimes I think he's still, ya know, smitten. But like, in a dumb-guy way. Like you know, be mean to the girl you like shit. Make her eat mud pies and put frogs in her hair."

"He's 18, Jasper. I think he's a little too old for that schtick," I offered. "Besides, I think he's only _smitten_ with Tanya these days." Tanya of the perfect body, skin and hair variety. Also, Tanya of the extremely friendly and charming variety.

"Yeah, sure. I guess."

"So, you'll be over after dinner tonight? I'll have everything set up! Carving pumpkins is my jam! I can't wait. Rose will be there by eight, the latest. I told her we'd wait."

"Yes, Alice, I will be there by seven. I can't wait to tell Rose how I tried to steal her man today. It was the highlight of this little outing," I teased.

"Just bring some of Renee's cookies, smile, and act like you're having a good time, OK, bitch?"

"As you wish. Maybe you and Edward aren't so different after all."

Jasper's laugh rang through the truck.  
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After I finished rinsing the pumpkin gut goo off my hands, I tried to dry them on one of the fancy bathroom guest towels, without making it look like I actually used it to dry my hands. I made my way out of the bathroom and ran smack-dab into a very angry Rosalie Hale.

"I heard something today, _Bel-la_," she said with a biting tone.

"Uh," was my response. I liked Rose, but she could be very intimidating. Like a female version of Edward. Everything had been fine all night between us, so it was like she was biding her time…waiting for the attack.

"Getting a little friendly with _my_ boyfriend… does that help?" she mocked. _OK, is this for real?_

"What the fu-"

"Just kidding!" Rose cheered, and then she laughed her ass off. I slumped against the door frame.

"Jesus, girl. I thought this became an episode of 90210."

"9 oh what?" she asked. I just told her to never mind and walked off towards the living room where everyone else was located. Alice had laid out a bunch of newspapers and torn up paper bags on the floor so we could carve without making too much of a mess. Edward and Jasper were trying to pick up the scraps without spilling pumpkin guts all over Esme Cullen's glacier-colored carpet. Glacier was the color she told me it was, not something I came up with.

Also, I want to point out, I suggested we do this in the kitchen where the floors are tiled, but Alice wanted it to be more comfortable and cozy. Esme is _her_ mom, so if she wanted that crazy woman's wrath when Emmett dropped pumpkin goop on her settee, so be it.

"Rose just asked me to join fight club, but I broke the first rule, sooo…" I said while sitting on the loveseat.

Alice giggled, so I knew she and Rose planned that little bathroom ambush.

"Wait, what does that even mean, Bella?" Emmett asked.

"You know, the first rule of fight club is never talk-"

"We know what the rules are, but what the hell are you talking about?" Edward interrupted.

"Okay, I guess that was a bad joke. I meant Rose just tried to start a fight with me because someone told her I was hitting on her boyfriend." I cut my eyes to Alice and she started giggling again. "But I came out here and told you about fight club, thus talking about fight club."

"Please stop talking, Bella," Edward said before he walked into the kitchen. I could not stand that boy.

Rose walked into the room and sat on Em's lap. She was looking smug, so I stuck my tongue out at her.

"Let's play truth or dare tonight," Alice suggested out of nowhere.

"No," I said immediately.

"No way," Jasper agreed, backing me up.

"Nope," Edward mumbled, because his mouth was full of a bite of peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"Truth or dare, Bella?" Alice asked.

"What?! I said no first." I grabbed a pillow and hugged it to myself, as if to shield Alice's attempts at getting me to participate.

"Truth or dare?" Alice asked again. I rolled my eyes and slumped into the couch.

"Truth. Or. Dare?" she repeated.

"Truth," I mumbled.

"What's your favorite position?" Edward asked. He started to snigger and Em joined him.

Alice scoffed. "It was supposed to be my question, Edward."

"CEO," I stated matter-of-factly, and with a smile I asked, "Truth or Dare, Edward?"

His smirking had ceased. My answer shut him up real quick. "Truth, Bella," he challenged as he took a swig of the beer he stole from the fridge.

"Why are you such a fucking asshole towards me?"

Everyone seemed to stop what they were doing. It got really quiet in the room, and everyone was glancing back and forth between Edward and me, or just at anything else in the room, trying not to make eye contact. I heard Emmett whisper, "Shots fired." Rose slapped his shoulder, but chuckled quietly.

The look of disbelief from Edward only lasted a second, half a second, even, but I saw it. He gained his composure and said, "You're right, Bella. I've been a jerk. Forgive me?" Then that son of a bitch smiled like we were old friends. Like he could've charmed my anger right away.

He didn't wait for an answer. He just started to get up from the chair and make his way towards the kitchen, but I wasn't going to let him get away without an explanation. So, I stood up and grabbed his arm.

"You didn't answer the question, Edward. I didn't need confirmation that you are a douche. I want a reason, and you better make it good." My hand was still holding on to his arm, and he just stared at it, like he couldn't believe the nerve. Well, I was furious…two years of pent up aggression stemming from Edward's nastiness toward me.

"Let go of me, Bella," he seethed.

"Or what? You gonna hit me? Are we going to resort to violence now?" Emmett gently lifted Rose off of his lap and stood up.

Edward finally looked up and met my eyes. "What? Bella, I would never… it's not… Do you really think I could do that to you?" He looked almost sad, definitely hurt. Nothing was going to be resolved like that.

"You know what? Forget it. Just… let's just pretend the other doesn't exist, OK? I love your sister, and I love all of these guys," I waved my hand towards our friends, "and I know you do, too. We'll just have to…endure each other, or whatever. Just please," I lowered my voice, "stop being such a dick, OK? I didn't do anything to deserve it."

Defeated, he looked down. "You're right. You didn't. And I am sorry. It will be as if… I never existed, OK?" He walked away before anyone could say anything else, letting us all breathe again.

"So, who wants to watch a scary movie?" Jasper piped in.

"I think we just did. I'll be right back." Alice ran up the stairs after her brother, looking equal parts stunned and apologetic.

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The next week went by uneventfully. It was getting chillier out. The leaves were falling in all their autumn-colored glory. It was darker earlier. The wind started to pick up. In other words, the weather was perfect. I helped Alice decorate her house AND her locker for Halloween. I helped Rose create the perfect braid for her costume. My mom and I went shopping for some new sweaters and comfy socks.

Everything was the same, but then, everything was also different. Edward was still around – these have been his best friends forever. Except now, he sat at the opposite end of the lunch table from Alice and me. During gym, he never looked my way – not even when I got hit with a ball (which happened more often than I would like to admit).

Friday finally came, and everyone was buzzing because the Cullens' annual Halloween party was on Saturday. They always rented out the ballroom at a posh hotel in Port Angeles. The Cullens were serious Halloween freaks.

"Alice, are the costumes actually _ready_? Like, we _will_ have something to wear tomorrow, right? Will they even fit us?" Rose was starting to panic. When she panicked, she started to shriek.

"Jesus, Rosalie! Have some faith. I've been working on these since July. Of course they will fit! I've only measured you 100 times," Alice snipped back. "Come over tonight. You can see for yourself."

"Who am I again?" Edward asked. Alice did this work-study program with some fashion design house in Port Angeles. In order to get her credits, she needed to design a Halloween costume based on a movie but put her own original spin on it. We agreed to let her do all of our costumes so we can go as a group. She technically only had to do one costume, but Alice was talented – almost unbelievably so - when it came to clothes, and she wanted to do it for all six of us.

"You're Hans. You come in from another kingdom to sweep Anna off of her feet and make her fall madly in love with you," Alice reminded him for the tenth time. At least he was being a good sport about the whole thing.

"Awesome… the Prince Charming type. Totally my style." Edward gave Emmett a fist bump, and I couldn't help but chuckle.

"What?"

"Huh? Oh… nothing. I just… nothing."

"If you have something to say, Bella, go ahead and say it. I can take it," Edward egged me on.

"It's just…what if you're not the hero? What if you're…the bad guy?" Alice and Rose burst out laughing as the bell rang. We all got up to throw our trash out as us girls sang our (terrible) rendition of "Let It Go".

I heard Edward ask Jasper, "Am I the bad guy in the movie, bro? For real?"

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The party started out well enough. Everyone was smiling, mingling, and some were even tipsy. Alice's costumes were a total hit, but I was surprised when she gave me the Princess Anna dress. I expected her to snag that costume, but she chose Hans for Edward first. She got so skeeved out at the thought of being her brother's sorta-almost love interest. So, she made herself a troll instead. Trust me when I say that may be one of the most shocking things I have ever seen: Alice handing over the "pretty" costume. Jasper was Olaf, Em was Kristoff, and Rose was Elsa… of course.

The setup made me really happy, because I always felt Kristoff and Elsa were better suited as a couple - a comment I was no longer allowed to make around Alice or she threatened to "end my life". She was a total Frozen purist.

Sitting outside under heating lamps, we snagged a nice spot away from grownup eyes. We had been messing around and talking most of the night when a classmate stopped by to say hello. He eyed Rose sitting on Emmett's lap and casually made a comment about Elsa betraying Anna by sleeping with her man. This opened up the conversation again, so of course I couldn't stay quiet.

"If I was dressed as Sven I'd have more luck getting his attention, because only two things turn him on. _Ice_ queen's-" I fake coughed and whispered Rose's name. "And smelly reindeers."

"Bella, what did I say?" Alice growled.

I held up my hands in surrender. "Just sayin'."

"I shouldn't even allow Rose and Emmett to be next to one another!"

"Who am I again?" Edward asked. Since I had been having a nice time and let my guard down, I slipped and answered first.

"You pretend you love me to steal a title, say awful things to me as you leave me to die, and then run off to murder my sister."

Edward seemed to ponder this before asking, "But I'm hot, right?"

Jasper and Alice start cracking up, and I can't help but smile.

"Yeah, you're hot." I blushed red as soon as the words left my mouth. I couldn't help but facepalm. I didn't know if that was a setup, but I knew I totally, indirectly complimented him.

Now Em and Rose were laughing as well.

"Aw, Bella. I knew you liked the bad boys," he said. I couldn't help but sneak a peek at him and found him staring right at me with his trademark confident smirk. I wanted to say something back, but decided whatever I said would only cause more trouble, so I let it go.

Alice jumped up, pulling Jasper with her. "I need some refreshments. Come with me," she said, not even giving Jasper time to answer before they were already around the corner. Rose dropped down from Em's lap and asked him to go with her to the bathroom so she doesn't have to wait by herself. I found this odd and gross, so I made a face. "Bella will you watch my purse until I get back?"

"Sure. I'll be here."

So, that just left Edward and me. Alone. And it was super awkward. I started to peel the label off my overpriced pumpkin-flavored (_everything was pumpkin flavored_) cider to distract myself.

"So, how did you do on Banner's pop quiz yesterday?" he asked. I guess we were talking to each other now.

"Fine. I passed, I think. You?"

"Yeah. Same I guess."

"You finish that paper he wants next week?"

"Not yet."

"Me neither."

I went back to peeling the label. He went back to leaning his chair back dangerously. I swore he was going to tip over.

"Where's Tanya? I haven't seen her tonight." I couldn't help myself from asking. I kept my eyes focused on my bottle, though. It was totally casual.

"I wouldn't know. We stopped talking about a week ago."

I looked up to gauge his facial expression, but there wasn't any sadness or anger there. So I stupidly said, "I'm sorry?" in question form.

He chuckled and dropped all four legs of the chair back on the ground. "Nothing to be sorry for. I just wasn't interested."

I couldn't help but get cheeky. "Should I be sorry for her?" I quipped.

He chuckled again. "Probably. It's me we're talking about here. I'm a catch." I just rolled my eyes. "Nah. She wasn't really interested either."

"A conscious uncoupling then. Got it."

"What?" He was very confused.

"Nothing. Nevermind. It's a Gwyneth Paltrow thing."

We both got quiet again, and I knew the gang would start showing up soon. It was my only chance, and I _needed_ to ask one more time.

"Edward, why were you so mad at me… or are… or just, did I do something to you that I need to apologize for?"

He stayed quiet, so I threw in a joke. "And don't say it's because I was born." My joke fell flat as he looked up into the dark, October sky.

He let out a big breath before he spoke. "I remember when you first moved to Forks. You kind of became this fixture in our house, ya know? Alice would NOT shut up about you. And then our parents became friends. Then you kind of just fit with all of us, even after Rose used her bitch-tactics to vet you. You gave it right back to her. And dammit, Bella, you were so fucking cute. And smart. And funny. And then I asked you to the homecoming dance."

"Edward, come on. I told you why I couldn't go with you. I thought we were on the same page. Alice was my first friend here, and then she was my _best_ friend. I didn't want…"

"I know. I know. Girl code. Weirdness and awkwardness all around. I was OK with it. I mean, I wasn't, but I was."

"It's not like I didn't want to go with you, Edward. I wanted to go with you so badly. I cried for like, a week."

"You gonna let me finish, or what?" I waved my hand for him to continue.

"You showed up with James. I tried so hard, so many times, to make you realize he was a piece of shit. Even _before_ that dance."

"Edward, I learned that the hard way. That didn't mean-"

"It doesn't matter. I saw red, I guess. If you wanted a jerk, I could be a jerk. I'd be the biggest jerk you ever met. At the time, I really thought you gave me some bullshit excuse so you could go with him. I realize now, two years too late, after a long talk with Alice last week, that was not the case. It just got out of control. I really have no good excuse, nothing that even comes close, Bella. I just had such a crush on you, and I was so fucking pissed and hurt that you didn't want me back."

"You had a crush on me, so you were mean to me, is what you're saying?"

"Yeah, in the most basic of terms, yes." He shrugged.

"Fucking Jasper," I chuckled.

"What?"

"He's just…always kind of right about stuff."

"That he is," he agreed.

"So, we're good then?" I asked hesitantly.

"I don't know, Bella. I mean, I am so sorry for all the dumb shit I've said. I don't think I can ever make that right. All the times I've made you uncomfortable. So stupid. How could you ever be good with me? And you thought I was going to hit you!"

"NO! No…I didn't. Not really. I was all fired up, and I probably wanted to push _you_ more than anything."

"You do have a lot of fire in you, Bella Swan."

"I forgive you, Edward. Bygones and all that. Just…talk to me next time. Be honest, OK? Don't go a year and a half giving me whiplash and saying dumb boy shit." I held my hand out for a truce.

"Deal." We shook hands and then laughed at the absurdity of it all. "You have to be honest too, OK? If I am ever pissing you off, give me a good arm-slap or something. It's the least I deserve."

"Well, if we are being so _honest, _there is something I've been wanting to do for a long time."

"Oh? What might that-" I didn't let him finish, as I leaned over and planted my lips to his. It was meant to be a light kiss, to kind of seek out his reaction. Then, it turned into something more – something we have _both_ wanted for a long time.

"Ahem! What are you two up to?" Alice teased as everyone else tried to avert their eyes.

"Oh, you know, just waiting for the Great Pumpkin." I giggled as I hid my face against Edward's shoulder, feeling comfortable…familiar, even after everything.

Never one to miss an opportunity, Emmett piped in, "I think Edward's sporting the Great Pumpkin in his pants right about now." As we all just about peed ourselves with laughter, I realized this was the second time in a week that everything stayed the same, but everything was also different.

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_One Year Later…_

"Jesus, Bella. Walk much?"

"Give me a break! There are pumpkin vines fucking _everywhere_," I said from my spot on the cold, muddy ground. "Looks like you got some mud on your boots, you ass." Emmett was yet again laughing at my clumsiness. "Oh, no, but I just got these and now they're ruined!" I mocked.

"Come here, Baby." Edward reached down and helped pull me up, and then he helped me brush some of the dirt off my clothes. I thanked him with a kiss.

"This is a much better pumpkin picking experience than last year, if I do say so myself," I teased him. We didn't usually talk about how we were before we were _Bella and Edward_, but I couldn't let him forget completely.

"I miss Alice and Jasper," whined Rose from a few pumpkins down. "I am sending them all these pictures. Even the one of you on your ass, Bella. Alice will love that!"

After we graduated high school last spring, Alice went to New York City to go to Parsons School for Design. Jasper followed her, enrolling in John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Rose and Emmett ended up in Eugene, Oregon. Rose opened up a little boutique store with her cousin, using some money their grandmother left them. Emmett got a scholarship to the University of Oregon. Edward and I totally by chance and not at all planned both ended up at college in Seattle. The four of us on the west coast decided to pick a random pumpkin farm at the halfway point to keep the tradition alive.

"Are we carving these tonight? Can you be trusted with a knife?" Edward looked at me cautiously.

I gave him a sour look. "Watch it, buddy, or you will have something to worry about."

He laughed and pulled me close. "I love you," he whispered softly.

"I love you, Edward Cullen." He kissed me as if we were the only two people in the pumpkin patch. Pulling away, I wrapped my arms around his waist and we walked back to the wagon. Rose and Emmett were already there waiting.

"I see the Great Pumpkin has returned for another Halloween!" Emmett bellowed as we took our seats across from him and Rose. I once again found my face buried in Edward's shirt, feeling completely at home.

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A(s)N: I just wanted to say I, chosmer, hate the movie Frozen. I may be the only person on this planet that isn't in love with it, but, yeah, no. All the Frozen crap was Jessica's idea. Well, this whole thing was her idea.

Jess – If you don't love Frozen, you can GTFO.


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